Went down to check on the RIB - another bow eye gone - lasted 10 days this time. Damage as well - all the reinforcing patches under the bow scuffed, worn and peeling away - harbourmaster had tied it back up for me but ropes needed extra work.

Mate and I were down there at 8pm - been ill in bed last few days with really bad flu - raging fever - really didn't want to go down there - very nasty swell in the harbour again which makes things 10x harder.

As we were rigging up extra ropes all hell broke loose. Never in all my life have I seen anything like it. There was a bright flash out at sea - then a few seconds later the wind came from nowhere - my mate was on the boat and I was on the pontoon.

Almost took me off my feet and I am not exactly small. All the water seemed to be rising up out of the harbour at us - drenched completely in 2 seconds. Even my hiking boots full of water. I had to dive for a piling to hang on. The force on the pontoons was incredible. There is a Fairline 30 next to my boat and it was almost ripping the main cleats out of the pontoons. They will all need checking.

I honestly thought all the pontoons were going to be ripped away. The noise was incredible - worse than any film I have ever seen. All we could do was hang on for grim death. When it died down slightly we made a run for the shore.

Within 20 mins there was no rain and no wind. I don't know if it was a tornado or just a very very heavy squall but I never want to experience that again. Doesn't help when you aren't well either.

The sooner I get my boat out of that bloody harbour the better - it's never going back there!!!

Went down again today to put some layflat hose thorugh the ropes to stop them chaffing the tubes.

Bilges 1/3 full of water - new battery has lasted 2 weeks. Took my Clarke Hippo pump with me - power off as well now!!!

Spoke to the harbour master - really nice bloke from Guernsey - said he had never seen weather like it or such a bad place.

Apparently we were observed last night - nice to know someone was watching out for us. Apparently the water in the harbour rose by about 6' in a second but I didn't even see that. It was described as some sort of cyclone or tornado.